Season 02 Episode 11, "To Be Myself"
|Row 2 title = Season: |Row 2 info = Strike Witches Season 2 |Row 3 title = Episode Number: |Row 3 info = 11 |Row 4 title = Airdate: |Row 4 info = September 16, 2010 |Row 5 title = Previous Episode: |Row 5 info = 500 Overs |Row 6 title = Next Episode: |Row 6 info = Beyond The Skies To Eternity }} Sakamoto Mio's magic is so deteriorated that she starts having trouble controlling her Striker Units briefly after using Reppuzan (but it still is powerful enough to take down a Neuroi with a single hit). Even denying something is wrong, Mio knows she is close to exhausting her magic power. Later on, Yoshika is looking for Sakamoto. Finding Sakamoto's room door open, she enters to find an empty room, only with Reppumaru sitting on a stand. After a brief flashback, Yoshika takes the sword on her hand. The sword starts sucking her magic. Mio shows up on time to get a hold of Yoshika. As Yoshika recovers her senses, Mio scolds her for touching the sword. Minna and Mio leave on a plane for an important meeting at mission control. At the meeting, is is revealed the High Brass already determined the upcoming mission: use the Yamato to repel the Venezian Neuroi Hive. Mio mentions that the Yamato, being an ordinary weapon, couldn't stand a chance against an airborne Neuroi. But the truth is that Yamato was a special, ultimate weapon: based on the Warlock Research (by Fuso) made in Gallia, the military developed a more stable core control system. This allows for about ten minutes that the Yamato to be converted into Neuroi while keeping it under control. Mio gets mad when confronted that a Witch couldn't take on a Neuroi Hive, and mentions that with True Reppuzan, she could accomplish victory against even something as a Hive. One of the High Brass mentions Mio should have retired already (since she was already passed that time). The mission was important since if it failed, there was no choice but to surrender Romagna to the Neuroi. Adjourned the meeting, the Operation Mars was going to start at 1000 hours the next day. Mio still tries to argue, but Minna keeps her on hold. The 501st is then given the order to escort the Yamato into battle. Minna concurs, to Mio's shaken surprise. Back at the base, Minna organizes a small meeting to explain the battle plan, and explain the consequences of a mission failure: surrender Romagna to the Neuroi and disband the 501st. Barkhorn promptly yells about that last assertion, calling it ridiculous, and asking why Minna agreed to such a thing. Minna then reveals that in fact she didn't, stating she was against it as Barkhorn was. She mentions that they don't have the resources to keep the battle of attrition that was in place, and that casualties were just going to pile up the more the fighting continues. It was their only option. Lucchini burst in tears due to the possibility of abandoning Romagna to the Neuroi. Charlotte comforts her, saying that they weren't going to handle her homeland to the Neuroi. The solution was obvious: they just needed to win. Minna says that there were eleven Witches, and Yoshika complements that with all of them, they would win for sure. At that moment, Mio seems to look down, sad. Yoshika promptly notices it. Later on at night, Yoshika wakes up and still bears the marks of the Reppumaru on her hands. She decides to pay a visit to Mio, but this time, Mio isn't on her room, and even Reppumaru is missing. Mio was at the hangar, preparing to take flight for training: she wanted to master True Reppuzan for the next day. Wearing her Striker Unit, she tries to take flight, decided to master the technique. She shoots up the runway, but Minna shows up right at the hangar doors. Mio ends up avoiding Minna, and crash lands. Minna confronts Mio, knowing that it would someday come. Minna explains that even while Reppuzan gave strength to her, it was a double edged sword that as Reppumaru was eating up a great deal of Mio's magic power. As the rain starts pouring over them, Minna asserts that Reppumaru was shortening Mio's lifespan as a Witch. Mio stands, saying she can still fight. She tries powering the sword with magic, but it only glows dimly before going normal again. Mio does not believe her eyes, and Minna says it was over. Mio refuses to accept, swearing she will master the True Reppuzan. Minna says it is impossible, and Mio begs for just one more attack, for her to be able to use True Reppuzan at least once. Mio bursts in tears, and is held by Minna. Yoshika, who was looking for Mio, witnesses the whole scene. Now she knows what was happening to Mio. The next day, Minna is organizing a meeting of the witches and reviewing the orders: escort and protect the Yamato. As they depart, Yoshika is decided to work extra hard to make up for Mio. The Fuso Fleet is already in motion to the Hive as the 501st Witches connect with them. As the fleet glow closer, the Neuroi scores the first hit, taking down Destroyer Nicholas. The battle had begun, and the Strike Witches to protect the Yamato while the Neuroification is complete. The Hive attack army is mostly composed of disk-like crafts, and the Neuroi seem to target the Yamato primarily. The battle goes on while the fleet advances while under protection from the 501st. Mio tries to perform Reppuzan, but it bluntly fails, and causes her sword to fly and get stuck on the deck of Yamato. Mio is protected by Yoshika, but does not believe she couldn't use Reppuzan. As the battle drags on, the witches magic power start to deplete. Minna orders the ones who couldn't fight any longer to go to the Amagi. Mio is static in the air, pondering to herself that she couldn't fight, neither protect people anymore. Finally, the Magic Engine Dynamo on Yamato is turned on. Section by section, the Yamato starts to turn into a Neuroi. With an estimate nine minutes of usage, Yamato starts flying, towards the Hive. The Neuroi start to target it directly, but the Neuroified Yamato displays a huge amount of firepower as it advances towards the target. Minna says the mission is completed, but Mio cries saying that for her, fighting and living were one and the same. She lost her shields and couldn't use Reppuzan. Minna praises Mio for what she fought, really valiantly, as the Neuroified Yamato makes its way. Yoshika was glad that Mio wasn't going to need to fight. The Hive sends waves of Neuroi to try to stop the Yamato, but its sheer firepower and regeneration ability doesn't let it go down. The Yamato finally hits the large dome on the Neuroi Hive, causing a huge shockwave. The captain order the main cannon to fire, but nothing happens: the magic engine dynamo stopped moving. The Neuroi launch another attack on the ship, bombarding it. So, with the magic engine dynamo not operational, the main cannon couldn't be fired: the operation failed. The fleet prepares to retreat, but Mio refuses to give up, saying that it wasn't over, not the war, not even herself, and dashes out of Minna's arms, towards the Yamato. She plans to use her magic power to start the magic engine dynamo! References Category:Strike Witches Season 02